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Are prostars worth the effort?

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Old Jun 28, 2006 | 04:32 AM
  #1  
2000zrocks's Avatar
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Default Are prostars worth the effort?

i dont know. i just got done putting mine on and it was a PITA!! although it looks damn sweet i think if i had it to do over i would probably shell out the extra bucks for bogarts.
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Old Jun 28, 2006 | 06:15 AM
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For the folks who read my posts and find them boring, please ignore. Many do not use the search feature...I therefore tend to repeat myself. I mean no disrespect to your wheel choice.

…Goals and your budget. If you want a lighter, higher quality wheel that is made FOR your car, then our Bogart wheels are your best bet. Validating the difference in cost is easy. What matters in the end may be your budget. I like to think everyone should have Bogart wheels but that’s not a reality. The folks considering our wheels, take a look at our benefits, I feel they outweigh differences in costs.

Personally, wheels make the car, therefore from a sheer appearance standpoint; our wheels outshine a weld low-end wheel. There really isn't any comparison.

Low-end welds use a stamped piece of aluminum clam-shelled together with a loose cast aluminum spacer. Our wheels are highly polished 6061 material w/heat treated components milled centers w/spun forged components. …Completely different in comparison. …Like a Wall Mart shopper to a Neiman Markus shopper.

I scratch my head when I see folks state they like the look of a prostar over a high-quality designed wheel. Even Weld’s high-end alumstar 2's are nothing like their economy series wheels i.e. prostars. Price-wise you’re going to spend actually MORE then what our wheels cost for a custom built wheel for the F-body.

The only thing I can attribute statements is to lack of seeing a high-end wheel in person. Do these folks compare a Fiske, CCW etc wheel to a take-off? We’ve got so many different styles to consider, Weld only being very few choices, it’s hard to believe that one can’t find one that they like from a Bogart wheel.

From a weight standpoint, ours are far lighter then welds prostar/draglite combo. Some say, “well it’s not too much different and not worth it imho”. A stock 16x8 wheel is ~21lbs; a weld prostar 15x10 setup is ~15lb. That is 6lbs difference, OUR wheel is ~10.5lbs build for the F-body. To put it into perspective, prostars on your car (instead of our Bogart’s) is like leaving ~50lbs of converted static weight on your car. I see many of you guys spending 500.00 on a k-member just to save 40 lbs. You have to weigh the options wants/needs and your budget. An economy wheel has its benefits from a cost perspective. This is its goal which it meets. Quality takes a side-burner when it comes to quality of materials, finish, design and weight.

In the end the consumer who purchases economy wheels… after modifying the car quite extensively, adding spacers etc. as long as they feel they made a good choice that is all that is important. To compare our wheel to an economy wheel is difficult. We have many folks changing to our wheels from Weld economy wheels quite often; I wonder how many switch from a Bogart wheel to Weld? My motto is do it once and do it right.
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Old Jun 28, 2006 | 09:04 AM
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I liked mine, but my budget wouldn't allow for Bogarts. I just wish there hadn't been so much time spent grinding the calipers.
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Old Jun 28, 2006 | 09:54 AM
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Well I think most get the Welds for the fact they are ok to drive on the streets. The Bogarts are not, correct??

I would like to get some Welds for that reason alone. Unless my car is track only , I wouldn't waste the money for custom wheels that can't be run on the streets either.
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Old Jun 28, 2006 | 10:01 AM
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Centerline Convo Pros fit without grinding, are nearly as light as Bogarts, and are stronger than Bogarts. The Bogarts do look and fit better.
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Old Jun 28, 2006 | 10:46 AM
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as for me im leaning towards picking up weld draglites...how hard was it to grind the calipers and for what size wheels/offsets?

i personally dont like the aesthetics of the prostars or any of the bogart wheels. bogart wheels are designed and intended for track only use. thier website states, "warranty is void if: ... #3. wheels that in the opinion of bogart racing wheels have been used on the streets or highways." my car is a daily and even if it becomes a weekend toy it will continue to see "street and/or highway use". what is the point in buying a set of wheels i can only use at the track for a vehicle that isnt a track only vehicle. hell, the way the website states it, i couldnt even put the wheels on and drive to the track without voiding the warranty. it seems like when somebody posts about grinding calipers or going with weld wheels somebody pitches bogart wheels, which arent even feasable (for street driven reasons) for the normal guy like me.

-cam
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Old Jun 28, 2006 | 10:52 AM
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Originally Posted by BIG_MIKE2005
Well I think most get the Welds for the fact they are ok to drive on the streets. The Bogarts are not, correct??

I would like to get some Welds for that reason alone. Unless my car is track only , I wouldn't waste the money for custom wheels that can't be run on the streets either.
Drag wheels are not street legal, Centerline nor Weld manufactures a front skinny wheel that is street legal. The front wheel takes the most stress which is what any consumer should be most concerned about. So from a safety standpoint, NONE should be used on the street. NO manufacture will advise this. It is also imprinted on ALL of them stating for off-road use drag use only!

If you feel sucure about going against the manufactures recommendations of which they clearly state using any of the drag manufactures wheels on the street, then feel no different about our P1 billet series wheels. Lets say you damaged one of our wheels...Our wheels are repairable at minimal costs to the consumer. Offhand, we have LESS then 10 folks since the beginning of F-body production that have damaged a Bogart wheel

...Tell any of the other manufactures that you bent their wheel, they will most likely tell you to buy a new wheel. We back our products up and provide customer support that is top notch. Centerline and Weld customers certainly have folks whom have bent their wheels; no wheel is impervious to failure.

Centerline manufactures the heaviest of drag wheels. They are heavier then weld's. From the reps at centerline, a drag 10" wheel is ~16lbs. They do not have a wheel for an F-body with the correct backspace so they really aren't a good option in my opinion. I personally would pick a Weld wheel over Centerline.

If you're happy with your choices, that is what is important. Once again, no disrespect. I see many folks comparing products to others when they probably have never seen or used them but they have a strong opinion. It happens with our Bogart products as well. There are measureable differences between a economy wheel and high-end wheel.

Weld manufactures high-end wheels that are amazing. They are right in line with our wheels price-wise (many cases more expensive), but still are not built specifically for the F-body. When I see folks comparing Welds economy wheel to their high-end wheels or our high-end wheels...I dont' know where they are coming from.

Obviously, I am biased to our Bogart products BUT I do make many of my comparisons based on facts and first hand experience.
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Old Jun 28, 2006 | 10:57 AM
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Originally Posted by wolfy

i personally dont like the aesthetics of the prostars or any of the bogart wheels. bogart wheels are designed and intended for track only use. thier website states, "warranty is void if: ... #3. wheels that in the opinion of bogart racing wheels have been used on the streets or highways." my car is a daily and even if it becomes a weekend toy it will continue to see "street and/or highway use". what is the point in buying a set of wheels i can only use at the track for a vehicle that isnt a track only vehicle. hell, the way the website states it, i couldnt even put the wheels on and drive to the track without voiding the warranty. it seems like when somebody posts about grinding calipers or going with weld wheels somebody pitches bogart wheels, which arent even feasable (for street driven reasons) for the normal guy like me.

-cam
Don't ever use a weld prostar/draglite wheel on the street and ever expect to call them and tell them to fix their wheel when you bent/broke it. They clearly stamp on their wheels on the OUTSIDE surface "for drag use only". They are NOT street legal. Just because their website may not be as clear, doesn't mean you are safe to use the wheels on the street...you certainly are NOT. NO drag wheels should be used on the street, period. If they were, they would be in a "street" series then.

Now that I mentioned that, IF you were pulled over by the police and they saw your Weld or Centerline wheels that clearly state this, they can (and will) ticket you at minimum and tow your car since it is NOT street safe. We only etch on the tube area of the wheel "not for street use" instead of on the outside surfaces of the wheel so not to take away from the show-car finish.

I do comment regarding our Bogarts quite often. Why do I? Because our wheels ARE proven, I designed the wheels FOR your F-body, and they are in my opinion the best option with the most benefits.

Last edited by SJM Manufacturing Inc; Jun 28, 2006 at 11:05 AM.
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